Medical Tourism Destinations - 7 Popular Countries For Medical Treatment

Medical tourism is fast growing industry that has developed because people don't want to pay the exorbitant costs of medical, dental, and cosmetic treatments in their home countries. It is fairly young industry, but it has been ringing up millions of dollars in revenue every year. Below are seven popular medical tourism destinations and some info about each of them:

India

Among all the major players in the world, India offers the most number of medical treatments of the highest quality and for the lowest costs, particularly a dramatic 70-90% decrease of U.S. prices. One of the largest health providers is the Apollo Hospital Group, with 41 hospitals and 8.000 beds all over the country. In the past, India was also able to provide procedures not available in Western countries, such as Birmingham him resurfacing.

Brazil

It's not surprising why this exotic South American destination notoriously known for being obsessed with the physical appearance is the second largest hub for high-quality cosmetic surgeries, next only to the U.S. Over 4,000 licensed cosmetic surgeons and world-class facilities make Brazil one of the top destinations for cosmetic treatments. Procedures range from liposuction, facelifts, breast augmentation to liposuction, jet peel skin rejuvenation, and internal bras. In general medical care, the country also has the largest number of hospitals outside the U.S. accredited by the JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations).

Thailand

Despite the political unrest that has lately beleaguered Thailand, the country still continues to enjoy a growing health tourism that has been bringing in medical pilgrims seeking affordable but excellent medical treatment. Thailand offers virtually all kinds of medical treatments, ranging from cosmetic surgeries to organ transplants, from orthopedic treatments to cardiac surgeries, to physical and mental therapies to dental solutions. Several of its hospitals are certified by international accreditation organizations and it offers the best medical practitioners who were educated and trained in the United States and the United Kingdom.

South Korea

Unlike several of its neighboring countries who continue suffering from the economic crisis, South Korea has an economy that is hardly affected and is, in fact, flourishing. The government has been exhausting all efforts to expand the field of medical tourism in the country, even including stem cell transplant in its list of most sought-after procedures after realizing the importance of this controversial treatment in curing different types of cancers. South Korea's world-class plastic surgeons and state-of-the-art medical facilities have also made it the plastic surgery capital of the world, offering quality services, such as re-plantation using microsurgery, flap operation, burn care, and craniofacial surgery, for a fraction of the cost offered in Western countries.

Malaysia

This Southeast Asian nation offers a wide variety of medical procedures, including cardiac surgeries, cosmetic surgeries, dental treatments, alternative medicine, and health spas. Cost of treatments are much, much lower than in the United States and since the U.S. dollar performs favorably well against the Malaysian ringgit, even inclusion of holiday expenses will still make it significantly less expensive than the cost of the procedure in the U.S. Hospitals-Malaysia.org says that 88.5% of the entire Malaysian population live within three miles of a healthcare facility.

Costa Rica

One of the major medical tourism destinations south of the U.S. is Costa Rica, which is also known for its pristine shorelines, jungle adventures, and government-protected national parks. For patients who mind flying through the Pacific, Costa Rica is the best location for high-quality cosmetic and dental care. Prices are typically half the price of the procedure when done in the U.S. and during recuperation, you can go out to see the amazing sights and sounds of this South American hotspot.

Hungary

European countries, such as Hungary where English is commonly spoken, are jumping into the business. It is one of the leading medical tourism destinations for patients in the U.K. and those in the U.S. who choose not to go to Asia. Instead of major healthcare facilities, Hungary boasts of excellent private clinics in Budapest where personal care is a huge bonus. Most medical procedures are dental and cosmetic in nature, but there are also a wide number of general medical treatments available.